Phyllis

For other uses, see Phyllis (disambiguation).
Phyllis
Phyllis and Demophon by John William Waterhouse.
GenderFemale
Language(s)Greek
Origin
Meaningfoliage
Other names
Related namesFiliz, Philis, Phillida, Phillis, Phyliss, Phyllicia, Phyllida
Phillis Wheatley (1753–1784), African-born American poet.
American actress Phyllis Haver (1899–1960) in 1922.
American comedian Phyllis Diller (1917–2012).
American conservative activist and lawyer Phyllis Schlafly (1924–2016), pictured in 1977.

Phyllis or Phillis is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning foliage. Phyllis is a minor figure in Greek mythology who killed herself in despair when Demophon of Athens did not return to her and who was transformed into an almond tree by the gods. Phillida, Phyllicia, and Phyllida are all variants of the name.[1]

  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.